Shooting sports is risky business

I have a friend who, while photographing a professional football game, badly injured his knee when a football player ran into him on the sidelines. He was out of commission for several weeks.

Clifford Oto

I have a friend who, while photographing a professional football game, badly injured his knee when a football player ran into him on the sidelines. He was out of commission for several weeks.

I've been fortunate in my career. The only thing that comes close was being hit in the shoulder years ago by an overthrown pass during a prep football game. I've shot enough games to know when the action gets too close and when I should back away.

I met Dave Bickle on assignment to shoot Gene Romero's West Coast Flat Track Series races at the Lodi Cycle Bowl a few weeks ago. A former dirt track motorcycle racer himself, Bickle has been the track photographer at the bowl for about five years now and offered me some helpful hints.

A number of old tires cut in half marked the inner diameter of the dirt track. As the bikes power slide their way around the quarter-mile oval, they try to come as close to them as possible. It looks insane, but Bickle stands just inside of the line of tires so he can shoot the oncoming riders. Though they are traveling up to 70 or 80 mph, he assures me that the bikes rarely come inside the tire line. If they do crash, their momentum carries them to the outside of the oval and not to the infield.

Not quite having Bickle's confidence, I stood a few feet closer to the infield than he did. We shot the time trials, which feature just a single rider at a time whizzing around the track. Bickle said that he gets just as close during the regular races, which can number up to 10 or 12 bikes.

Many photographers often take calculated risks to get the right angle for the shot. From hanging off the sides of mountains to crowding the sidelines of a sporting event, it's what we do in the attempt to get a good shot. It's important to know the sport you're shooting to know what the risks are and how far you can push the limits.